Kiara Anderson greets every day with a smile. Long before she joined the Pauley Hear Center team at VCU Health — even before she got her nursing degree —"in a past life," as she says, she was a cheerleader. Today, Anderson is the Interim Nurse Clinician for VCU Health’s inpatient and transitional cardiology units, as well as the Nurse Clinician for Pauley's Heart Failure Nurse Navigator Program.

An incredible amount falls in her lap each day, and every day she gets it done. "My day can go several ways," she says, "I'm on a lot of committees and attend a lot of meetings about how we can improve our practice; things like improving care for heart failure patients or finding ways to give time back to the nurses at the bedside through things like Epic charting,” she says. But, at the heart of it all is her clinical expertise. "If the nurses have a question like 'I've never given blood,' or 'I've never seen this type of drain,' or 'I need help with troubleshooting the X, Y, or Z’ —I'm still the person they would come to,” she says. “So, while I have the capability to drive change, I am still able to be right in the thick of it at the bedside."

Anderson started at the Pauley Heart Center in 2016 as a patient care technician (PCT) while she was an undergraduate student at VCU.

Right away, she found she wanted to know anything and everything about heart failure treatment. “I remember walking up to the floor where I work now and seeing the vibes,” she recalls. “I said to myself, ‘This is where I want to work.’” So, she showed up, introduced herself to Karen Stewart, then the nurse manager of the Coronary ICU, and applied. She has been with Pauley ever since and during her time, has worked her way from PCT to nurse clinician.

When asked about her long-term goals, Anderson told us she would be right here at Pauley. "I was put here for a reason,” she says. “This is one of the most fulfilling teams I have ever been on. I love my co-leader, Robyn Diehl, this team, and our nurses, PCTs, secretaries — every single person who works in this unit is engaged and passionate. Even when work is stressful, this is my home away from home."

Anderson is also an expert on blood pressure. This year, she ran VCU Health’s blood pressure booth at the American Heart Society’s Go Red for Women Luncheon in Richmond. In terms of managing your heart health, Anderson explains, “Knowing what your blood pressure numbers are is first and foremost. Then watching your diet, weight, and exercise are important to keep that number in check.”

When she is not at the hospital, Anderson is busy being a mother of two. She told us she wants to be an example to her children: Cameron, 3, and Caleb, 18 months. "One thing that I pride myself on is showing my kids a hardworking mother,” she says. “Someone who shows by example that if you put your mind to it, you can do whatever you want. You can be a fabulous mama, you can be a fabulous clinician, you can be a fabulous friend and wife and all of the other things. I think that it's very important to show them that. So I just do it with a smile and get through it."

A few fast facts about Anderson:

Book she is surprised not more people have read: Verity by Colleen Hoover.

Favorite snack right now: Chocolate-covered almonds with a light dusting of peanut butter powder.

Walk-up song: I Am Woman by Helen Reddy:

“Oh yes, I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to, I can do anything
I am strong
I am invincible
I am woman”